A computer-based brief intervention for college drinkers

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goals of this project are to develop, evaluate, and disseminate a suite of software programs that provide brief interventions for heavy drinking college students: The College Drinker's Check-up (CDCU). The CDCU will be a revision of the Drinker's Check-up (DCU), a Windows program and a web application developed for older adults. Revisions of the programs are necessary to tailor the programs to a college student population. The DCU intervention consists of integrated assessment, feedback and decision-making modules. The programs will use the FRAMES elements common to effective brief interventions. We will also revise the follow-up program for the Windows version (Follow-up College Drinker's Program, FCDCU) and integrate follow-up components into the web application so that it has the same features and functions as the CDCU /FCDCU Windows application. The target population is heavy drinking college students (5 or more drinks per occasion for males, 4 or more for females & peak BACs >80mg% in the previous 2 weeks). Phase II goals include: revisions of the Windows and web applications based on feedback from the pilot study and expert panel; pilot testing of the final prototypes; and a randomized clinical trial (RCT) of the Windows version with a 12 month follow-up to assess its effectiveness. The RCT will compare the CDCU to a no treatment control group. There are substantial public health implications from this project. Developing a suite of Internet and Windows based programs increases the ability of universities to use these programs and the likelihood they will be used in a variety of different settings. If the clinical trial shows that the CDCU program is effective in reducing heavy drinking, it could be widely disseminated at relatively low cost. Our pricing structure (a one time fee) also will put this suite of programs at an advantage relative to its competition and make it less costly to adopt. Colleges are experiencing increasing pressure to implement evidence-based intervention programs to reduce heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems in their student body (NIAAA, 2002a,b). At the same time they need alternatives that are less expensive, require less staff effort and training, yet are empirically supported. The CDCU, if effective, could help meet those needs.